


Cap 3: An Alternative

by alittlelefttothecentre



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky works in retail because there are not that many jobs for ex-assassins, Canon-Typical Violence, Cap 3: now with less Tony, Gen, Natasha is cool, and more interection between Steve and Bucky, canonverse, how do tags work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-10 00:31:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6930703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlelefttothecentre/pseuds/alittlelefttothecentre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Cap 3 wouldn't have had the Civil War storyline? What could it have been? With some elements from Civil War that I love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some disclaimers at the beginning:
> 
> Edit: I removed the original caption. This is an old bit of writing that I'm not sure I'm proud of anymore. I'll leave it up, unchanged, but if you decide to read it, please don't judge me for its contents. Basically this is what I once dreamt up when thinking of a different cap 3 storyline.

N E W Y O R K

Bucky walks cautiously through an alley, clutching his right arm. His boots leave footprints of water on the city-dirty ground. He moves slightly slumped over, looking afraid and confused. He is still wearing his winter soldier uniform and has wounds on his face. It is still light outside, the sun illuminating the drops of water in his hair. He then spots a homeless man asleep in a sleeping bag. He walks over to the spot and carefully takes off the man's brown jacket and cap, pulling him ot of the bedroll slightly.

''I'm sorry.'' he mumbles, while putting the man back in the bag properly.

''I'm sorry.''

Bucky walks out of the back street, wearing the jacket and the cap. Next to the sleeping figure, his former leather armour lies.

~*~

He walks into a small convenient store including a brunette with a very uninterested face behind the cash register. The cap is shoved down to nearly under his eyes, making his face almost invisible. Bucky walks over to the candy aisle and picks out 5 granola bars with raisins. Then he grabs a big bottle of water, and a simple black backpack that hangs in between a ''Dora and Diego'' knapsack and one with a cartoonish-looking car. He walks over to the other side of the store and takes a small black notebook and a pen. He holds all of his stuff in his arms instead of using a cart. He eyes a small rack with hairbands, that only has elastics of the variety ''I am five years old and tell my parents I want to be a princess''. His eyes scan over butterflies, glitter and all shades of pink. Finally, he picks out a packet of sober purple ones and heads over to the register, not looking the cashier in the eye. 

''I'd like these, please.'' he says, and dumps all the things he found in a small pile onto the counter.  
The cashier looks at him for a second, but then visibly decides weirder things happen in the store about every hour and scans the products. 

As she bags them, she says ''That will be 21 dollar 25 then, sir.'' in her customer-voice and smiles a fake smile at him. Bucky pulls a crumpled 20 and a neater-looking 10 out of his now dry pocket. She hands him his change and the bag.

''Thank you, m'am.'' he says, while still not looking at her, and walks just outside the store to re-bag his goods from the plastic sack into the backpack. 

~*~

Bucky speeds up and jumps, grabbing the handle of the door, and swinging himself into the train. He takes one bar out of his bag, de-wraps it and bites down. The sun is going down and the landscape is shwooshing by. After a few moments of chewing, sitting cross-legged on the floor, he lays his backpack flat on the ground. 

He lies his head onto it and closes his eyes.

~*~

N I G E R I A

Wanda walks across the street.

''Sam, can you see anything?''

Sam is perched on a rooftop in ful gear. He overlooks the city.

''No, but maybe Redwing coul-

''This is not the time yet, Sam, you know a bright red flying robot stands out from the crowd quite a lot, right?'' Natasha says, while peeking through a window.

''KIlljoy.'' Sam mutters.

''Why are we here again?''

''We've been getting tips about Hydra activity, and it seems they've been planning something right-'' Natasha says, putting a higher pitch on the ''right'' ''over here.''

''We don't know exactly what though.'' 

Steve pushes the comm down a little and asks again.

''Sam, are you sure you don't see anything?''

Sam sighs and replies ''Yes, cap, I'm sure.''

Then there is a distinct bang and screaming.

''You know, I change my mind, I think I do know where they are.''

Steve puts on his helmet, picks up his shield and runs away, bringing his wrist to his mouth.

''Where is it.''

''The CIDC.''

''What is that.''

''The center for indigenous disease control, two blocks to your right.'' Sam says, while taking off.

Steve sighs and mumbles ''Oh no.'' under his breath.

~*~

Sam swoops though the air, grabs his gun and points it at the two Hydra agents who are closing in on the building after having blown up the wall surrounding it. The wreckage lies everywhere. He pushes on a button on his arm and a small red projectile flies off his back and then hangs still in the air, awaiting instructions.

''We don't need that, Sam'' Natasha shouts at him. She jumps on a particularly large piece of broken stone and scans the area. She locates a heavily armoured man with a metal helmet and sprints towards him. 

''Well it's now or never, Romanoff'', Sam screams back while deflecting bullets with his wings.

''Besides, he's very helpful. Redwing, locate Rogers.''

Steve throws his shield in the battlefield. It bounces off a Hydra goon and back to him. He catches it and kicks another one in the chest.

''I'm here Sam.''

''Good. Where's Wanda?''

Natasha dropkicks the metal-helmet-guy in the back. His stumbles forward a few steps and turns. He doesn't seem focused on her though, but rather on the man in blue behind her. She punches him in the stomach, only to recieve a metal fist to the face, having now caught his attention. He tries the same move a second time, but she deflects the attack. She crouches down, swivels around with one leg stuck out, and causes him to fall. 

Now two others get involved and she has to fight them off before she can get back to the other.

The man stands up.

''Take care of her.''

He walks over to Steve in large steps and shouts

''HEY YOU!''

in a raspy voice.

Steve turns around and gets kicked a few meters back.

''I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!''

He jumps upright and averts his punches before getting one in himself.

Wanda jumps in the midst of the fight using her magic to push herself up in the air.

''Where were you?'' Sam yells while shooting a Hydra guy who is coming too close to the building.

''There were more of them back there.'', she answers, while motioning to a space to her left.

''Are we gonna have to deal with that?''

''Not anymore.''

''Of course.'' He mutters.

''Guys, I have an idea.''

''About time!''

Steve is still fighting the man, who doesn't seem fazed by his super strength at all.

''Get away from them, I'l trap them.'', she says, while red magic is buzzing between her hands.

''Easier said than-'' Steve shoves him back, trying to get him to lose his balance ''done.'' He runs away quickly.

Sam gains altitude and Natasha slides over a car.

''NOW.''

A red bubble forms itself over the Hydra agents. One of them shoots it, but the bullet just bounces off.

They gather around it.

~*~

''Okay, call the others i-'' Steve tries to say before being interrupted by loud banging.

The man with the metal fists stops hitting the force field and takes off his mask. His face is covered in horrifying scars. He grins.

''You.'' Sam takes a step back and crosses his arms.

''Me.'' He replies.

Rumlow nods his head at Steve, who eyes him cautiously.

''I need to talk to you.''

''I have nothing to say to you.'' Steve says, shaking his head.

He turns away from him and brings his wrist up.

''Are you sure? It's about Bucky.'' He tilts his head. Steve turns back around fast.

''You know, he remembered you.'' He muses.

Steve comes closer and looks at him.

''Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky.'' The last word he spits out with malice in his voice.

''That is, of course, till they put his brain back in the blender.''

Steve reaches through the magic and grabs him by his shoulders.

''What about him?'' Steve says, sounding a tinge desperate

''He's, you know-'' he says, spinning his finger in a circle next to his head and chuckling. Steve looks angrier.

''But he had some clear moments. That was one of them. He said- He said to me- And this is about you, it should interest you, he said ''Sometimes it's just time to go, when it's not your time anymore, you know.''

''What'' Steve says, through clenched teeth, and steps through the last bit of force field without thinking. Sam tries to hold him back but to no avail.

''-and I don't think it's your time anymore pal'' Rumlow says, and pushes a button in his right side. a familiar sound emerges from his vest. Steve immediately lets go of his shoulders.

Another red bubble forms around the exploding figure and it's sent into the air. Steve steps back outside and watches it. Then he turns around and nods at Wanda, who nods back. He is visibly shaken. He looks up again. Natasha watches him from the side with concern in her eyes.

~*~

R O M A N I A

A squirming form lies under a thick blanket. He whines in his sleep.

Flashes of needles. Bootprints in the snow. A hall full of dancing people, somebody sitting at a table, sketching. Him in a trench, covered in mud. Gunshots, a knife reflecting the sun. A white room. Him, head pushed under water. Words, the same words, repeated over and over and over again. Daybreak. Daybreak. Daybreak. Daybreak. Daybreak. Daybreak. One- Sunlight filtered through green leaves in the summer. A face looking up at him, blood smeared across the cheek 

''No-''

He shoots anyway. The white room again. Classical music, a group of little girls. White room, strapped on table. Screaming. Little girls again, now two less. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. A familiar face saying his name. A blue blur falling into a lake beneath him. Scalpels. A chair with a helmet attatched. 

''Again.''

Freight car.

He gasps and his eyes fly open. He sits upright in his bed and coughs. He rubs his eyes, slides out of bed and walks to the sink, grabbing his notebook on the way over there.

It's not a big apartment. There is little to no decoration, but there is a bed, a table, a chair and a very small kitchen. The wallpaper has little orange flowers on it. The windows have been blinded with newspapers. On one corner, the tape has let loose and through that, a moon beam manages to illuminate the dark space.

Bucky hops on the counter and fills a glass with water. As he drinks he looks at a very empty fruit basket, save one apple, with ''cos de fructe'' painted on with shaky red letters. He sighs, opens his notebook, and starts writing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve interrupts Sam and Nat in their private time, Bucky is cool af, and I have no patience for writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this entire chapter listening to ''run, boy, running''

The sunlight filters through the morning air and hits dozens of little stalls with crates filled with fruit and vegetables. Bucky walks in between them, carrying a plastic bag with the blue logo of a local supermarket printed on. The bag is almost full already, with round shapes pushing in its sides. He stands sill for a moment, considering, and then picks up a plum from a stand. He squeezes it lightly with a gloved hand. 

''Sunt bune?'', he asks, looking up at a woman wearing a flowery apron.

''Ele sunt foarte bune. Este sezonul.'', she answers.

''Bine, atunci vreau șase.'' 

He looks around a little while the seller puts the fruit in a seperate paper bag.

''Aici te duci iubita.'', she says, and he snaps back into focus.

''Vă mulțumesc foarte mult, o zi bună.''

He smiles at her and takes the bag she offers him. He puts them in the plastic bag. The top still peeks out, but he pushes it down. 

He hands her some money and walks away into the city.

~*~

W A S H I N G T O N

''Mister Rogers?''

''Hm? Yes?'' Steve says, shaken out of this pensive state. He's sitting in an office chair, in a room with too much glass and modern art to have been furnished by him. A WW II poster of himself salutes whoever stands in front of it. In this case, it's a brunet waiting awkwardly in the doorway until he feels he has permission to come in. Steve motions with his hand, and he seems to have finally gathered the courage.

The 20-something man hands him a tablet. 

''We've picked up more Hydra activity, sir. This time in Romania. Seems there'll be an attack in the capital today.''

Steve swipes through the files on the screen.

''Twice in one week?'', he says to himself, looking at dossier that says ''In Style!''. He frowns.

''Alright, ready the equipment, I'll call in the team.''

''Of course, mister Rogers.'', the intern says, and starts walking away. He stops in his tracks and turns around a little.

''My sister loves you.''

Steve looks down and smiles.

''She served, you know. It would be- it would be great if I could get an autograph some day.''

He nods. The young man walks away. He takes his phone out of his pocket and starts typing.

~*~

Natasha is sitting in a bathtub entirely filled by bubbles. There are bubbles up to her chin, on top of her head, covering almost her entire body. Her toes peek out from the bubbleblanket and her eyes are closed. Steam curls towards the white ceiling. The walls are decorated with pink and pearl tiles. On the side of the bath stand multiple multi-coloured flasks, advertising tropical fruits and wellness.

''Ping'' 

She grunts, and lifts an arm up from the bath to unlock her phone lying in between the shampoo bottles.

The screen reads ''Hydra = in Romania. Come immediately to base. No delays.'', coming from ''The flag man''

~*~

Sam is about to take the first bite of his cereal when his phone goes off. ''random jogger'' sent him a message. He reads it.

''Shit.'' 

He quickly shoves a few bites into his mouth, shoves back his chair, throws the plate in the sink and grabs his phone. He walks towards the door from his tiny kitchen. 

''Shit.'', he repeats.

He janks his jacket from the hook, throws his door open, walks out, and slams it shut again.

~*~

B U C H A R E S T

In a street paved with cobblestones, a small shop has opened its doors. On the facade a sign board hangs. ''In Style!'', it screams, in bold letters. Inside, an angry elderly man is yelling at an employee.

''De ce nu ai pantaloni de catifea? Am purta întotdeauna cele! Aveți nevoie pentru a verifica în spate, fiule, ai folosit întotdeauna să le aibă! Tu nu mă dă de serviciu corespunzătoare clientului! Vreau să vorbesc cu managerul despre asta!''

Bucky holds out his hands defensively, trying to calm the man down.

''O să văd ce pot face, Vă rugăm să vă păstrați calmul, domn.''

~*~

Outside of the shop, agents in heavy black clothing gather behind cars. On their chest, a red octopus with a skull for a head is embroidered. A hushed female voice tells them to stay silent until she gives the sign. They nod and she rolls a can over the street to the front door of the store. They cover their ears.

~*~

Bucky looks up, over the disgruntled man, who's now angrily flipping through racks of pants, to the other side of the road. He frowns. Then he looks a bit further down and his eyebrows shoot up. He grabs the man and a little child with a light blue shirt that stands close by and pulls them to his front. He turns round, so his back is facing the door, effectively shielding the customers from the blast that blows up the doorway. Immediately, bullets start flying through the place. He picks up the kid and ducks down, running through the rubble and piles of burning clothing. The air is full of smoke. Then he reaches the back door and is out in the light again. Het puts the crying toddler down.

''Du-te și pentru a găsi mami.'', he says quickly, and then disappears into the narrow streets, leaving the kid and police sirens behind.

A large, heavily armoured man bursts through the door and follows him.

~*~

''Well, looks like we're in the right place.''

''Yeah.''

Sam looks around, over the city and the resque team helping the people out of the fire.

''But where are they now?''

He brings up his hand to his goggles, adjusting them.

"I don't know, can't see them.''

~*~

Bucky speeds up the fire exit stairs and jumps through the window. The space floods with light. He throws open his closet on the left wall hastily, taking out a few notebooks. He runs to the other side of the room, grabs the backpack and shoves them in. 

Then the man who was following him arrives in his appartment too. His head snaps up, and he's taken aback a little before leaping to the kitchen part of the tiny residence. He opens a drawer and grabs a knife. The other guy takes one out of a pocket in his armour.

''You really don't want to try this, pal''

The man is silent an stares at him. 

They circle each other, him making sure Bucky doesn't get near an exit. Noises come from behind the door. 

Then he jumps forward and stabs him in the stomach, the knife not coming through the thick bulletproof vest. The Hydra goon tries to get a hit in too, but he deflects with his left arm and kicks him away from him, immediately running towards the window. 

When he looks out, a bullet hits the windowsill. He pulls back. 

The guy is standing up again. Bucky hits him in the head and bends down to take his gun.

He returns at the window, firing a few shots before dropping all the way down and landing on his feet and metal arm with a loud ''clang'' sound, holding the pistol in his right hand. Running past the bodies, he grabs a drainpipe and climbs up.

~*~

''I think I found them!''

Sam zooms in on the man running over the roofs. He jumps off landing on a car, hitching a ride. The guy turns around to shoot at his pursuers.

''Oh no.''

''What is it Sam?''

''You're not gonna like this, Cap.''

~*~

The college-aged girl looks up panicky from the road to the roof of her car after hearing a loud bang. She looks into her side mirror to see a man clad in black hanging on the side of the verhicle. She screams, loses control over her wheel and crashes. The man on top who she hadn't seen leaps off and continues his flight. He's wearing a backpack.

~*~

''What do you mean I'm not gonna like this?''

''It's Bucky.''

''What? Where?''

''I don't know, he disappeared.''

''But where was he?''

Natasha grabs his shoulder.

''Steve, calm down a little, he may not-''

Steve shoves her hand off. 

''He's in danger, Nat.'' He puts his hand to his ear. 

''Where did you last see him?''

''Five blocks to your right. I'm looking for him right now.''

~*~ 

He waits in the large dark tunnel. At some places, mos is growing in between the tiles. A single homeless woman sits in a corner. 

He shifts from the balls of his feet to his heels and back again. He's nervous.

Then a screech is heard, lights are seen, and the underground arrives. As people stream out into the shopping part of Bucharest, Bucky steps in.

He settles in the back of the train, shoving his cap further over his eyes and placing the backpack in his lap, embracing it tightly.

The metro takes off again.

~*~

News reporters are being filmed at the location, reporting a Hydra attack in the very centre of their capital. Steve watches as the ones they caught are led cuffed into a truck.

Sam lands next to him.

''Sorry, I really couldn't-''

''It's alright.'', he says tightly.

Sam nods, and stares in the same direction as him.

A single Hydra goon spits as them. It doesn't even land within ten feet. Steve looks away, lost in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunt bune?= Are they good?  
> Ele sunt foarte bune. Este sezonul. = They are very good. It's the season.  
> Bine, atunci vreau șase.= Alright, then I want six.  
> 'Aici te duci iubita.= Here you go sweetheart.  
> Vă mulțumesc foarte mult, o zi bună.= Thank you so much, have a nice day.
> 
> De ce nu ai pantaloni de catifea? Am purta întotdeauna cele! Aveți nevoie pentru a verifica în spate, fiule, ai folosit întotdeauna să le aibă! Tu nu mă dă de serviciu corespunzătoare clientului! Vreau să vorbesc cu managerul despre asta!= Why don't you have corduroy pants? I always wear those! You need to check in the back, son, you always used to have them! You aren't giving me proper customer service! I want to speak to the manager about this! (btw I've had this exact conversation w somebody this is legit)  
> O să văd ce pot face, Vă rugăm să vă păstrați calmul, domn.= I'll see what I can do, please remain calm, sir.
> 
> Du-te și pentru a găsi mami= Go and find your mommy
> 
> Aaaand that's it! yay! This chapter didn't go exactly as I had it planned, but this is better anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> And? What do you think? It would make me very happy to get some feedback! Do you have any ideas as to how I should further the story? (I mean I have a storyline planned out but if you have requests I'll squeeze them in) Also if I made a mistake, please tell me!  
> 


End file.
